They are pretty to look at and fun to shoot. As long as you keep the charge relativly low there is no problem. I don't have one, but my friend does. I had my Ruger Old Army and he had a 1858 Remington. We shot it with about 25 grains and it shot just as well as mine...
There is absolutly nothing wrong with a brass framed gun, you just can't fill the chamber to the brim with powder and cram the ball in like you can with a Ruger Old Army...
I'm looking to buy a 1851 colt pretty soon with a brass frame. It looks great and it a classic. I'm not going to shoot the snot out of it, just once a month or so and put a few rounds through it. If thats all you are doing, a brass frame will hold up just fine.
